Sign



W. W. HAYS April il, 1939.

SIGN

Filed bec. 1o, 1937 Wlliam W. Hage Patented VApr. 1939 UNITED'A STATES 'PATENT UFFICI?- l' l( f srGN William W.' Hays, Greenville. Tex., signor of twenty per cent to ville, 'lex.

Arthur W. Lilly, Green- Appiiootion Deoember 10,1331, sei-isi No. 179,039

` This invention relates to new and useful improvements in signs.

One object of the invention is to provide an A illumination, which gives the appearance loi a neon tube and which conforms to the shape of the letter, isA provided and also wherein a reflected glow, simulating the glow of a neon tube, surrounds said indicia, whereby a most.y attractive and inexpensive sign, which may beof a relatively small slze for window display purposes, is produced. I

i Another object of the invention is to provide a sign having relatively narrow slots or openings conforming to the shape `oi' the indicia therein,y

With means for .directing a colored light through Vsaid openings so that the illumination visible L through the openings produces the appearance ,of a tube; there' being additional light openings surrounding the indicia land means for reflecting the light rays passing through these openings onto the background surrounding the indicia,

A whereby a reflected glow is produced around the indicia.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with i other features of the invention.

The invention will be in ore readily understood from a reading of the following specication and .35 byreference to the accompanying drawing, in

which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 isa front elevation of'a sign, con-i structed in accordance with the invention,V

Figure 2 is a transverse,vertical, sectionalview,

In the drawing, the numeral III designatesa light reilecting casing or housing which has its iront `Il open. A suitable electrical receptacle` orv socket li2 is mounted in the bottom of' the 1 55 housing and electrical current is conducted theres visible.

'to by electrical lead wires i3 which pass through -an opening in the rear wall of the casing. An

incandescent lamp or bulb I I is screwed into the receptacle and illuminates the interior of the casing. It is noted that the particular construction .5'

of the casing is subject to variation, as any suitable light reecting casing may be employed.

The open front Il f the casing is closed by a background panel i5 which extends completely thereiacross and which has a general rectangular 10 shape. However, the'shape of the casing controls the shape of the panel and therefore, saidpanel may be of any desired shape. The panel is suitably secured to an outwardly directed, peripheral ange lil which is provided on the casing. 16v Indicla i6 are painted, or otherwise displayed on the outer face of the panel I5, whereby it is clearly visible to an observer viewing the sign. These indicia have been shown in the form of letters but manifestly, they could be figures, p ic- 20 torial illustrations, or ,other displays. The background panel is provided with a plurality of relatively narrow slots or openings I1, one

" or more of which is provided foreach letter.

The opening for each letter conforms to the shape 25 of that letter and is preferably disposed centrally thereof. Since eachope'ning orslot `i`lf extends entirely through the panel, the light rays i i fromthe interior of the housing -are visible through said openings, whereby a narrow illumi- -30 nated slot, conforming to-the shape of the letter,

is visible to the observer. 'Ihese illuminated slots or openings simulate and give the appearance of illuminated tubes, such as neon tubes.

It is preferable to color the light rays prior 35* to their passage' through the openings I1 and .for this purpose, a colored sheet i8 of .transparent material, such as Cellophane, or colored or coated glass, is secured to the rear face of the panel i5 and covers theopenings in said 49 panel. A suitable transparent reinforcing clothl sheet I9 may overlie the colored sheet and serves to prevent displacement of the same, as

well as to prevent buckling or wrinkling of said sheet, due to heet from the iight buib u. The

sheet i8 may be of a desired color and thus, a.

covering the individuel openings, substituted '50 therefore, or if desired, the interior walls of the casing or the bulb il vcould be colored. in which case, the colored sheet or strips could be omitted.

From the foregoing, it 'wiu be manifest that the indicia are clearly set out in 'illuminated 55 Manifestly, the colored sheet could be ing or displaying maybe dispensed with entirely with the slots or openings I1 forming the indicia I .or letters.

openings, which openings, being relatively narrow, simulate illuminated tubes. As is well known, neon tubes produce a reected glow which g surrounds the tube and in order to produce this glow so that the sign herein gives substantially the complete effects vof a Ineon tube, additional slots or openings 2i are formed in the panel I5. As is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4, theseopenings 2l extend completely around the indicia on the panel and are spaced from said indicia. The openings may be covered withthe colored sheet I8 or the rays passing through the openings may be otherwise suitably colored. A border or revfleeting member 22 is secured to the peripheral portion of the panel, being spaced from said panel by a frame 23, which is interposed between the .border and panel. The border overlies the panel which form the indicia are, of course, clearly visible'.

When the sign is illuminated, the illuminated, colored openings I'I'clearly set out the indicia and give the appearance of Aan illuminated tube. The light passing vfrom the interior of the housing also passes through -tl'ie openings 2l and strikes the rear face of the overlying border 22,

from which it is reflected onto the background` panel I5 around the indicia, whereby said indicia is surrounded by a reected brilliant glow (Fig- `ure 5).- This glow simulates the glow of the usual neon tube and together with the tubular appearance of the illuminated slots or openings I1 produces a sign which gives substantially the same effect as a neon tube sign. It is not essential that the border 22 have its -inner edge of its aperture 24 conforming to the general outline of the letters and said aperture could be substantially rectangular in shape, as shown in Figure 6. Such shape of the aperture has been found to produce a satisfactory glow around tne indicia. It is also pointed out that althoughthe indicia I6 have been described as first be' ing painted, lor displayed on the panel I5, after which the slots I-'l are formed therein, the paint- The sign simulates closely the effects of a neon tube sign and is most economical in manufacture. Thevsign may be made of any desired size and is ideal for window and counter display. Its upkeep, or cost of operation is small due to the fact that one bulb or lamp is sufficient to illumi- -nate the same. The panel I5 and casing, as well Aas the reilecting member 22, may be constructed of heavy pasteboard, cardboard, metal, wood or other' suitable material. It is noted that if de' sired,` the rear face of the reecting member 22 may be colored to intensify the color of the glow.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sign including, a panel having relatively y narrow openings therein which openings simulate tubes and are shaped to form indicia, vmeans for directing light rays through said openings to illuminate the saine to produce an illuminated tube effect, the panel having additional openings surrounding the narrow openings, and means overlying such additional openings for intercepting the light rays passing therethrough and for reflecting said rays onto the panel around the narrow openings, whereby arreflected glow around the simulated tubes is produced.

2. A sign including, a panel'having relatively narrow openings therein which openings simulate tubes and are shaped to'form indicia, means for directing light rays through said openings to illuminate the same to produce an illuminated tube eiect, means for reflecting additional light rays onto the panel around the openings for setting up a glow around the openings, whereby said glow appears to be reflected from the simulated tubes, and means for coloring the light rays passing through the openings and also for coloring the reflected glow.

3. A sign including a panel having relatively narrow openings therein which openings simu-` late 4tubes and are shaped to form indicia, means for directing light rays through saidopenings to illuminate the same to produce an illuminated tube effect, the panel having additional openings surrounding the narrow openings, means overlying such additional openings orintercepting the light rays passing therethroughand for reflecting said raysonto the panel around the narrow openings, whereby a reflected glow around `the simulated tubes is produced, and means in terposed between the source of light and the `openings for coloring the light rays passing through said openings.

4. An illuminated sign simulating a neon sign including, a display panel having indicia displayed thereon and having relatively narrow slots therein, said slots conforming to the indicia on said panel, means fory directing light rays through said slots whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, said panel having openings surrounding the indicia whereby light rays may pass therethrough, and means spaced from the face of the panel and overlying saidv openings whereby the light rays passing therethrough arereected onto the panel around the indicia and simulated tubes to produce a glow.

5. An illuminated sign simulating a neon sign including, a display panel. having indicia displayed thereon and having relatively narrow slots therein, said slots conforming to theindicia on said panel, means for directing light rays through said slots whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, said panel having openings surrounding the Iindicia whereby light rays may passthere through, means spaced from the face of the panel and overlying said openings whereby the light rays passing therethrough are reflected onto the panel around the indicia and simulated tubes to produce a glow, and means for coloring the light rays passing through said slots and openings.

6. An illuminated sign simulatingv a neon sign including. a vdisplay panel having indicia disf played thereon and .having relatively narrow slots therein, said slots conforming to the indicia on said panel, meansfor directing light rays through said slots whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, said panel having openings surrounding the indicia whereby light rays may pass therethrough, means spaced from the face of the panel and overlying said openings whereby the light rays passing therethrough are reflected onto the panel around the indicia and simulated tubes `to the panelfor-coloring the light rays passing through-the slots and openings. ,7. vAn illuminated 'sign simulating a neon sign including,` a light reecting housing having its front open, means within the housing for illuminating the same, a display panel closing the open -front of the housing and having relatively narrow slots therein which slots are shaped to form indicia, the slots permitting light rays to pass therethrough whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, the panel also having openings therein L which are disposed around the slots, and means ffor reflecting the light rays passing through the lli` openings onto the panelto form a reected glow a'round the simulated tub. i

8. yAn illuminated signsimulatinga neon sign including, a light reilecting'housing having its front open, means within the housing for illumi- "nating the same, a display panel closing lthe open l front of the housing and having relatively narrow slots therein. which slots are shaped to form indicia, the slots permitting light rays to pass therethrough whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, the panel` also having openings therein which are disposed around the slots, means for reilecting the light rays passing through the vopenings onto the panel to'form a reflected glow including, a light reflecting housing having its -front open, means within the housing for illumi-v hating the same, a display panel closing the open front of the housing and having relatively narrow slots therein which slots are shaped to lform in` dicia, the slots permitting light rays to pass therethrough whereby the illuminated slots simulate tubes, the panel also having openings therein ,which are disposed around the slots, a border sei cured to the outer surface of the panel and spaced 1 therefrom and having an aperture through which the illuminated slots are visible, saidborder overlying the openings to reflectv the lightl rays passing through the openings oi'itothe panel to form a reiiecte'dzglow around the simulated tubes, and

, a transpant colored sheet secured to the panel y 2,159,845 I toproduce a glow, and a coloring medium secured 3 for'colorin'g the light rays .passing throughothe slots and openings. l

10. A sign including, a panel having narrow to pass therethroughsaid openingsy `simulating light admitting openings therein to permit light x tubes and forming indicia 4displayed on the panel,

and means for passing additional light 'rays through the panel and for reflecting these latter rays onto the outer surface ofthe panel for setting up a glow around the openings, whereby said openings simulate tubes and the glow appears to .be reflectedfrom said simulated tubes.

1.1. A sign including, a panel having relatively narrow light emitting portions therein to permit iight to pass therethrough, said portions being so disposedr in the panel as to generally follow a shape representative of indicia, additionallight emitting portions in4 the panel, and means overlying and spaced from said additional light emitting portions, said additional light emitting portions and the means overlying the same being disposed wlth relation to the light emitting portions in the panel so as to reect light rays onto the surface of said panel.

12. A sign including, a panel having light emitting portions therein which portions are shaped to form indicia means for directing light rays through said light emitting'portions to illuminate the same, the panel having additional light emitting portions which encircle the indicia, and means overlying such additional light emitting portions for intercepting the light rays passing therethrough and for reflecting the sameonto the panel around'the first named light emitting portions which form indicia to set upa reflectedy Elow around such indicia.

-f v 13. A sign including, a panel having light emit- Y' ting portions thereinI which portions are shaped to form indicia and are of such size as to simulate a gaseous tube, means 4for directing light rays through said light emitting portions so as to illuminate the same, additional light emitting portions adjacent the ylight emitting portions of the 4 panel, and means overlying such additional light emitting portions' for reflecting the light rays passing through these latter portions back onto the surface of the panel. Y

W. HAYS. 

